Multiple-unit book holder



July 30, 1929. A. M. MARTIN MULTIPLE UNIT BOOK HOLDER Filed Feb. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet July 30, 1929. A. M. MARTIN MULTIPLE UNIT BOOK HOLDER Filed Feb. 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented July 30, 1929.

L'ZZZME ALFRED M. MARTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MULTIPLE-UNIT BOOK HOLDER.

Application filed February 18, 1927. Serial No. 169,157.

These improvements relate to devices for holding a plurality of books. In most instances such books will be of the kind usually called binders.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a rack or holder according to which substantially any number of books or binders may not only be held in a compact arrangement when not in use, but whereby such books or binders may be consultec, used and operated while remaining in the device. In this view the holder itself becomes a sort of binder, consolidating a plurality of the individual books into what is effectively a single book while preserving the individuality and manipulative flexibility of separate books. I

The important object is thus attained of avoiding a great amount of handling of such books or binders heretofore found necessary.

The improvements have an important re lation to binders of the type in which there is a pair of back members hinged together, each back member having a series of prongs holding perforated sheets, there being a lid or cover having a hinge-like connection with each back. Such binders will ordinarily range in size from say thirteen inches to twenty-four inches in the up-and-down directions, and may be twenty inches or more in width. In thickness they will ordinarily vary from one-and-one-half to three inches. In the larger sizes their weight is very considerable indeed, and they are handled to a large extent by female employees.

Such binders are always, I believe, provided with a lock or latch for holding the backs together, or with the opposed prongs abutting or in overlapped relation, when the book is properly closed, the lock or latch being such that when released the backs may spread apart on their own hinge connection, thus separating the prongs in the lateral directions so that sheets or leaves may be removed or inserted. The present improvements have a highly important relation to such binders in this respect that the unlatching operation may be performed while the binder is in the holding device, the backs thereupon being spread apart by an easy movement of the hand for the removal or insertion of sheets.

There is another feature of binder construction at the present time extensively "used, namely, means which permit the shifting of one set of binder prongs with respect to the other whereby sheets or leaves carried by the prongs may readily be offset in the up-and-down directions with respect to each other. These are generally known in the art as shift binders and are in accordance with my invention set forth in my Letters Patent No. 1,269,479 of June 11, 1918. These improvements have an important relation to such binders also, since this shifting opera tion may be performed while'the binders remain in the holding device.

In my copending application Serial Numher 150,668 filed November 26, 1926 on' Supporting means for book-type binders I have shown and claimed a book-holding device somewhat similar toone of the hold ing units of the present application. While the present holding unit is well adapted for use in connection with a single book and may be used in the manner indicated in my said copendingapplication, the holder of said copending application does not meet the requirements of a multiple-unit device such as herein disclosed.

7 Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan showing three binders held by my improved device, one of the binders being open and one of the' others being shown as slid forward; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the holding device and binders shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front end view of say the middle book of Fig. 2 with the backs released and swung slightly apart in the holding device, fragments of an adjoining book and holder beingalso shown; Fig. 4 is a view similar to the complete holder of Fig. 3 showing the backs fully elevated and the prongs thereon spread fully apart; and Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the holding units complete.

Referring first to the construction of the holding unit, reference will be had to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, from which it will appear that the individual holder comprises two holding members A and B. They are alike in all respects except that as arranged for use one is a right and the other is a left. To give the right and left efiect one of the identical constructions is simply turned around. The same reference characters are given to corresponding parts.

Cir

then turned back upon itself Beginning with the base 10, this may be a board adapted to rest upon a table, or it may be a table top itself. It will ordinarily be positioned substantially horizontal, although a tilt upwardly and rearwardly from the front is not objectionable and may have some advantage in particular installations. Fig. 2 shows that the base 10 is part of a stand having a central support 11, such stands being well known, and we will assume that the one illustrated provides for up-and down adjustments and for rotary movements of the top. A base adjustable vertically and mounted also for rotation is advantageous in this connection in view of the desirability at times to work upon the books sitting and at other times standing, with the further advantage of permitting the books to be consulted temporarily by some one other than the current operator, which may conveniently be done by turning the whole device around.

I preferably make each of the holding member A and B of a single piece of flat sheet metal such as iron or steel, but various other constructions are feasible.

Describing either of the holders, there is first a foot 12 provided with a plurality of slot-like openings 18 (see Fig. 5) through each of which openings passes a screw 14, there being suitably a washer 15 between the head ofthe screw and the foot 12, the head of the screw standing off suficiently from v the base to permit of a tilting action of the member A or B on the base. From the foot 12 rises the upright or outer side member 16, turned inward at 17 to form a bead or longitudinally-extending head which is rounded and has'an inwardly directed offset with respect to theinner part 18 extending downwardly and inwardly from the bead. This part 18 is bent inward substantially at right angles to form the seat 19, the metal being to form the underlying part 19 which continues and forms the bracing part 20. resting against the part 16 maintaining the seat member 19 and the side rest member 18 in proper relations to each other.

These two members A and B are secured together on the base by the screws 14 preferably in such spaced apart relation laterally that when the binder is set intothis'troughlike structure the back portions of the binder will rest on the free ends 19 (Fig. 4) of the seats 19 and the adjacent corners of the backs will contact or substantially contact the members 18. In other words, the space between the opposed members 18 is suflicient to receive the binder back and with the back at the same time resting upon the seats 19. The middle unit Y of Fig. 2 shows these relations. It is to be noted from unit Y of Fig. 2 that when the book is inserted in the manner just described the feet 12 are tilted up slightly. Resting the book on the seats 19 has brought the members 18 closer together and into contact with the back portions. The units X and Z of Fig. 2 show that the outermost feet 12 have come down fiat upon the base, which was brought about by swinging the books laterally from a vert1 cal position, rocking the backs on the seats 19 or one of them.

Figs. 3 and i show that whenthe backs are spread apart to various degrees the feet 12 are tilted upwardly. In the specific construction shown lateral or rocking movements of the holding members are provided for by the loose mounting of these members on the base, but various other means may be employed for accomplishing this result.

As an advantage in initially positioning the books in the holders I provide means for maintaining the holding members. of each unit spread apart when the book is absent, these means being shown as a flat expansion spring 24 extending between the members 16 of each unit and having narrow ends 2 1 (Fig. 5) projecting loosely through accommodating holes in the members 16 respectively. The projections 24 on the ends of the springs thus provide means for anchoring the spring in place as well as shoulders through which the spring action is communicated to the side members 16. Fig. 4 shows that the spring 24 hasa fixed shape slightly depressed below its ends so that when it becomes bowed, as it does sometimes, under the action of the device, it will be sure to flex in a preferred direction to develop its spring action.

Turning to Fig. 2 it will be observed that a pair of lateral supporting members L and M are provided for the outermost lids 11 and 4-2 of the outermost binders of the series. These supports L and M are also formed of light-weight sheet metal and respectively comprise an upright part 27 followed by an outwardly and upwardly slanting part 28,

.the free end 29 being bent over for strength to the construction and protection to the user. A pair of braces 30 having feet 30 turned thereon and through which screws 31 extend provide rigidity to the fiat metallic sheet 28 on which the lid rests. These lateral supports L and M hold the lids at a materially great angle with respect to the table top or the like and limit the spread of the lids of a given binder to a substantially V-shaped form. r

Fig. 2 shows three units in a series, that number being suflicient-for illustration. In practice the number of units in a single device will vary as desiredfrom one to a dozen or more. From the standpoint of easy consultation and use'by a single operator having a fairly well defined location with respect to other apparatus which the bookkeeping system, from one to six of may be involved in such units in a single device prove most satisfactory.

Turning to the operation we will refer first to Fig. 2 which shows the books in holder units X and Z inclined in opposite directions and with the book in unit Y open as it would appear if the book were merely placed in the holder and its covers or lids and some of the sheets or cards in the book spread apart, as for consultation or for writing upon some of the sheets. It is to be noted that in Fig. 2 the lock or catch mechanism holding the backs together has not been operated to release the backs, so that this view shows how any of the binders may be opened and used as an ordinary book. Fig. 2 shows also the relative positions taken by the holding members A and B when the books therein are inclined in one direction or the other or opened. It is to be noted that the book in unit Y is resting on both of the seats 19, and that it is held for such rocking movements that it may tilt from side to side as occasion may suggest while the book is being consulted. There is nothing to restrain such tilting action. The book in unit X is resting on only one of the seats 19, which is true also of the book unit Z. It thus appears that when the book is inclined to one side or the other its weight is carried principally by one of the holder members A or B, the cooperating member, however, serving to position and maintain the book in its seated position.

Turning to Fig. 3 we find the back members C and D, which are hinged together at 35, spread slightly apart. This swinging action of the back members on their hinge connection has resulted from the operators having pressed upon the finger-piece 22, re leasing the catch member 36 carried by one back member and normally in engagement with the latching mechanism controlled by the finger-piece 22.

Ordinarily when the catch is released the backs will fall part to about the extent shown in Fig. 3, but if this does not occur the finger of the operator may be applied beneath the backs to raise them slightly. At this time (Fig. 3) the back members are resting flat upon the seats 19 as well as upon the inner supporting members 18. This intermediary position (Fig. 3) is the basic one for most of the operations. In this position sheets or cards may be swung from side to side as in the ordinary book and entries on them which do not call for removal of the sheets may easily be made. For removing and inserting sheets the back members are raised further so as to separate the prongs 37 and 38.

Fig. 4 shows the relative positions after this further upward movement has taken place. It is to be noted from Fig. 4 that the beads 17 now engage the binder at the hinge connections 39 and 40 between the lids 41 and 42 and the back members respectively. The covering 43 of the back members, ordinarily of fibre, is slanted oil or beveled toward the hinges 39 and 40 respectively. A fairly definite channel-like seat is therefore provided longitudinal with and adjacent to these hinge connections respectively, and when the backs are fully opened, as in Fig. 4, the beads 17 on the holding members are in these seats. In this position (Fig. 1) the sheets may be shifted longitudinally in shift binders and transferred to another longitudinal position on the prongs by moving the prongs back into overlap as in Fig. 3. In brief, the operator merely moves the backs up and down to obtain the desired relative position of the prongs'for any operation.

It is pointed out in this connection that the seats 19 maintain the back members in their proper relative positions with respect to the holder so that when the backs are fully opened as in Fig. 4: they rest on the upper edges 17 of the holders at the proper place, namely at the hinge connection between the covers and the backs.

A very important advantage results from the construction and operation illustrated by Figs 3 and 4 since the operator may use the books and perform all of the desired operations thereon without lifting them or handling them bodily, except that from time to time he swings them or some of them from side to side when another book of the series is to be used. The operator may shift the sheets back and forth or remove or insert sheets through operations no more arduous than merely raising and lowering the back members from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4 and vice versa. The weight of the book as a whole is of no particular moment in these operations, and for the most part the operator is concerned merely with a sheet or a few sheets involved at a given time.

Further advantage is in the fact that the books may be slid in either longitudinal direction in their trough-like holders respectively. Such movement may be desirable from time to time for convenience of consultation, as where the operator desires to bring the open book closer and a slight forward movement of the book is easier than an adjustment of the operators body. It is sometimes desirable to move forward the book being worked upon before operating the backs up and down. Fig. 1 shows how one book may be drawn forward a considerable extent to provide an arm rest for the operator working on the open book. If the end book were opened it could he slid away from the operator so that the lateral support will form such arm rest, or whereby the cover of the adjacent book will serve as such.

Referring to the bead-like formation 17' at the top of the holding members respectively, I will point out that this bead serves as a catch under some conditions adapted toengage the corner or angle'of a back member accordingly as the book is swung from side to side. In Fig. 2 units X and Z do not show these corners actually engaged by the bead 17 but it sometimes happens, depending upon the way the operator swings the books from side to side, but chiefly according to the quantity of sheet material within the book, that the inner corner of the back in unit X will come to the bead 17 and the same is true as to unit Z and likewise unit Y in a corresponding position. To make this clear we will assume that the sheet material in units X and Z is so limited that the covers of unit Y lie at a more acute angle than is shown with respect to the base when swung either to right or to left. In such case the corner of the back will rise higher than as shown and may come to the bead 17. In all such instances the bead serves as a stop adapted to maintain the back within the confines of the trough-like holder.

I contemplate as being included in these improvements all such variations, changes and departures from what is thus specifically illustrated and described as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holding member for a binder of the character described having a middle hinge connection between its back members and a hinge-like connection between thelids and back members respectively, said holder comprising a pair of supports forming a troughlike receptacle adapted toengage the binder at the hinge-like connection between the lids and the back member respectively, there being a seat carried by each of said supports on which theback of the binder may rest, said supports being mounted to spread farther apart when a binder is normally held therein and the back members are spread apart on their hinge connection.

2. A boolcsup'porting member comprising an outer uprightimember, an inner member adjacent to and slanting downward-andnormally-inward with respect to said outer upright member, a rest extending inward from said inner member, and means for mounting the outer member for lateral rocking movements.

ALFRED M. MARTIN. 

